Switch-stand.



C. FORTH.

SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23. I917.

Patented June 11, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET C. FORTH.

SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23.1911.

1,269,069. Patented June 11, 1 91&

2 SHEETS-SHEET'Z.

T'rns PATEN CHARLES FORTH, OF OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TOFLEXIBLE METAL HOSE COMPANY LIMITED, OF OTTAWA, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SWITCH-STAND.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 11, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES FORTH, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Ottawa, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion ofCanada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inSwitch-Stands, of which the following is the specification.

This invention relates to improvements in switch stands, and the objectsof this invention are to facilitate locking the switch stand, so that itcannot be tampered with by unauthorized persons, and also, to assure theswitch being set in the proper direction when locked. I

Further objects are td simplify the arrangement of the lever actuatingthe switch and render the same fool proof, to so inclose the lockmechanism carried. by the lever, that it will be protected from rain andsnow, so that there is no possibility of any deterioration of theworking parts due 'to rust, dust, etc., and generally to adapt theseveral parts to better perform the functions required of them. j

With these and other objects in view the invention consists essentiallyof the improved construction particularly described and set forth in thefollowing specification and accompanying drawings forming part of thesame.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of a switch standembodying the, present invention.

Fig.2 is a side elevation partially sectional of the hand levercontrolling the operation of the switch.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the handlever with the lock casing insection.

Fig. 4: is a perspective viewflof the latch 7 member.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the hand lever showing theposition of thelock; fl' I. j t Like characters of reference referjtolike parts in the several figures. l

Referring tothe drawings AL, represents a switch stand of any usual"construction and B the improved'hand lever, by means of which theoperation of the switch is controlled.

On the upper portion of the stand A, a disk 10 is mounted provided witha peripheral slot and carrying an integrally formed housing 11, providedwith orifices 12 through the side walls thereof this housing being openon the front and lower walls and having an inner curvilinear top andback wall 13.

The lever B is provided adjacent its upper end with an orifice 14:designed to be arranged in alinement with the orifices 12 in the housing11, so that the hinge pin 15 pivotally secures the lever B in position.The lever B is provided on the upper end with a longitudinally extendingpocket 16 which communicates through the slot 18, with the outer beveledwall 17 of the lever, which is further provided intermediate of itslength with a pocket 19 on the front wall thereof, below whichprojections 20 are formed on thelateral walls of the lever.

A suitable hand grip 21 is provided on the lower end of the leverthereby facilitating rotating the same about the hinge pin 15.

Co-aoting with the lever B is a latch member 22 consisting of arectangular body portion provided on the upper end with an olfset arm23, terminating in the cylindrical end 24:, which slidably engages withthe pocket 16, and co-acts 'with the spring 25 located in the saidpocket.

The arm 23 is reduced intermediate of its length as shown at 26, so thatit will slidably engage with the walls of the slot 18, and in thismanner it will be clear that the latch member 22, cannot becomedisplaced laterally at the upper end.

The upper end of the latch member ter- 2 minates in a curvilinearprojection 27 extending above the upper face of the arm 23, and thisprojection is adapted to normally engage the front face of the housing11, and prevent the lever B from being rotated around the hinge pin 15,when the switch is locked.

The latch member 22 is designed to be moved in a longitudinal directionand. is provided with a projection 28 located below the arm 23 and onthe same side of the body portion as the said arm, and this projectionslidably engages with the pocket 19 in the front of the lever B.

Directly opposite the projection 28 a hand grip 29 is located, and apair of ofi'set flanged members 30 are formed integral with the lateralwalls of the latch member just above theprojection 28.

The lower end of the latch member 22 is cut away or reduced on the rearface at 31, while one of the lateral walls is beveled as shown at 32 foran object to be made clear hereafter.

The lock C co-acting with the latch member 22 consists of a casing 33provided with lugs 34, designed to be arranged in alinement with theprojections 20 and bolts or rivets pass through the said lugs or projections to secure the casing in position.

The lower end of the casing carries a lug 35 which rests on the frontface of the lever B and is secured thereto by a bolt or the like. Thebody portion of the casing 33 is substantially rectangular and isprovided on the upper wall with a rectangular conduit 36 located overthe pocket 19, with which conduit the lower end of the latch member 22makes sliding engagement, and the front of the casing is provided with akey hole 8 normally closed by the hinged cover 7.

The upper end of the conduit is inclosed by the flanged members .30 whenthe lever B is in use.

In the casing 33 the lock mechanism is housed and consists ofjthe base37 provided with a plurality of projections 38 arranged at the cornersthereof, and between those projections, the locking member 39 isslidably mounted. This locking member is provided in its lateral edgeswith recesses 40 and 41, the last of which is adapted to engage with thes ring 42, located between the inner side wall of the casing and thesaid locking member.

l'he lower edge of the locking member 39 is recessed as shown at 43 andforms the wards of the lock while adjacent to this recess a spindle 44is secured to the base 37 with which spindle a key is adapted to en age.

The upper edge of thelocking member 39 is provided with a projection 45,which normally engages with the lower end of the latch member 22, whenthe switch is locked, but when the switch, is opened the locking member39 is moved laterally to permit of the. latch member 22 being manuallymoved downwardly so permitting the lever B being rotated about the hingepin 15 and giving clearance between the projection 27 and the innercurvilinear wall 13of the housing 11.

Then a switch equipped in this manner is in use the operator by means ofakey moves the locking member 39 laterally to disengage the projection45 from the end of the latch member 22, and the operator thenw grips themember 29 and. pullsthe latch member downwardly.

The lever B is now free to be rotated about the hinge pin 15 and whenthe latch member 22 is in its extreme downward position the projection27just clearsthecurvilinear wall 13 of thehousing 11, so that when thelever B is rotated into the horizontal position to clear the peripheralslot 9 in the disk 10, the switch may be moved by the said lever.

In locking the switch it is only necessary to rotate the lever B into avertical position as shown in Fig. 1, in which the latch member 22, whenthe projection .27 is clear of the housing 11, will be automaticallyforced upwardly under the action of the spring 25, and the projectionwill then engage the front of the housing.

The lever B will now engage the peripheral slot 9 in the disk 10, sothat the switch is locked and cannot be thrown. When the switch is openthe key cannot be withdrawn from the lock C, as the recess 43 willprevent the key from turning to register with the key hole 8 due to thefact that the locking member 39 has been moved to. its eX- leasing thelocking member 39, which moveslaterally under the action of the spring42, and so engages the projection 45 with the lower end oftheflatchmember.

From this description itwill be seen that I have. invented a switchlever which can be advantageously used on railway systems and from whichthe key cannot be withdrawn when the switch. is in use, the lever beingso arranged that it is automatically locked when closed, the severalparts of the mechanism; being inclosed and not liable to be tamperedwith.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of my invention, within thescope of the claims, constructed without departing from the spirit orscope thereof, itis intended. that all matter contained in theaccompanying specification and drawings I shall be -interpreted". asillustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What .I claim as my invention is:

1. In a switch stand and in. combination, a disk having a peripheralslot, a: housing carried, by the'diskprovided with an inner curvilinearwall, a lever 'pivotallymounted on the housing having a pocket-in theupper endand.,a;.slot communicating with the pocket, a longitudinal,displaces-Pole latch.-

member mounted on the lever, provided on the upper end with an armdesigned to engage the pocket and slot, and resilient means in thepocket co-acting with the arm.

2. In a switch stand and in combination, a disk havin a peripheral slot,a housing on the disk having an inner curvilinear wall, a leverpivotally mounted on the housing, a latch member, an arm on the upperend of the latch member, a projection at the end of the latch member, apocket in the lever co-acting with the arm, resilient means in thepocket engaging with the arm and a hand grip formed integral with thelatch member.

3. In a switchstand and in combination, a disk having a peripheral slot,a housing on the disk provided with an inner curvilinear wall, a leverpivotally mounted on the housing, the latch member slidably mounted onthe said lever havin its lower end cut away and beveled, a 100 'ngmember provided with a projection on its upper edge designed to co-actwith the lower end of the latch member, and resilient means for normallypressing the latch member upwardly.

4. In a switch stand and in combination, a disk, a lever pivotallymounted thereon, a latch member slidably mounted on the lever, a pair offlanged members formed integral with the lateral walls of the latchmember, a lock casing having a conduit in the upper edge slidablyengaging with the lower end of the latch member, and a lateraldisplaceable locking member provided with a projection on its upperedge, designed to co-act with the lower end of the latch member.

5. In a switch stand and in combination,-

my hand.

CHARLES FORTH.

Gopies at this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G."

